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  1. R

    Sand Canyon, California. More of the back of one of the Sage Sparrows.

    I think this still falls within the lower end of the Sagebrush Sparrow range for back streaking. The malar does look strong, though, from this angle. I would still go for Sagebrush Sparrow, but it will be nice if someone with more experience with these birds offers their comments.
  2. R

    Sand Canyon, California, October 12th. Interior Bell's or Sagebrush?

    I think we are all still trying to work out how to distinguish these two forms. The most important features seem to be the thickness of the malar stripe and the boldness of black streaking on the back, with Sagebrush Sparrow having a weaker malar and stronger back streaking. Your birds seem to...
  3. R

    Stronsay 2024

    An enjoyable report, but what, prey tell, are Tysties?
  4. R

    California, 2024

    7 October 2024 On the threshold of a dream – as the Moody Blues said. Their dreams may have been more profound than mine. In any case, I got #399 today. It was a Blackburnian Warbler at Pajaro Dunes - Shorebirds Pond. The Shorebirds resort does not just have a pond, it also has an ocean beach...
  5. R

    California, 2024

    5 October 2024 On 1 October I went back to Swanton Pond – three locally good birds were there: Sage Thrasher, Dickcissel, and Prairie Warbler. The two I saw, the thrasher and Dickcissel, were the two I had already seen this year. Today I went to Natural Bridges State Beach again. This time my...
  6. R

    Any thoughts on this bird?

    I think it is a Pied-billed Grebe. It is a foot, not the tail, sticking out behind the bird in the first photo.
  7. R

    Arctic or Common Tern?

    I agree with all Evan said, and would add that I would expect a darker carpal bar if it were a Common Tern. Wonderful photos.
  8. R

    California, 2024

    28 September 2024 I was off after another vagrant warbler today, this time a Bay-breasted Warbler at Vasona County Park in Santa Clara County. Bay-breasted is another species that breeds across much of Canada, but only about as far west as Alberta, and it is not one of the more common species...
  9. R

    California, 2024

    27 September 2024 This morning I went to Laguna Grande Park. In addition to being a nice place to bird, a Blackpoll Warbler had been seen there over the previous days, and that would be a species I could add to my total. Blackpolls have an extensive breeding range in the northern forests...
  10. R

    California, 2024

    26 September 2024 Once again I went chasing after an American Redstart today, and once again I missed it. I had missed it twice on the 24th at Natural Bridges and twice before that at Corralitos Lagoon. Today I went back to El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove, and missed it there in the...
  11. R

    tiv-re, tiv-re, tiv-re. What bird call is this ?

    Maybe a Carolina Wren.
  12. R

    Please ID this bird

    A population of the species is well established in Southern California and it is increasing in Central California. Expect to see more.
  13. R

    California, 2024

    22 September 2024 Unexpectedly, I went back to Corralitos Lagoon again this afternoon. (If you try to look up this site, note that it is also called Freedom Lake and the park is Scott Park.) This time it was a Canada Warbler that had been found there. Although their breeding range extends quite...
  14. R

    Southeast Arizona July 3-8 2024

    Nice report, you saw a remarkable number of the area specialties in a short time. A note about Greater Roadrunners: one rarely sees many of them. This actually makes sense. They are high level predators. Predators are inherently uncommon. They are probably about as common (within their range)...
  15. R

    Comment by 'rkj' in media 'California Towhee'

    It looks like it is eating poison oak berries.
    • rkj
    • Gallery comment
  16. R

    California, 2024

    20 September 2024 I left the house at 5:00 AM this morning for the journey to Half Moon Bay and my postponed pelagic trip. There were patches of fog and drizzle on the way, but once we were out on the ocean the weather was good. Well, not great for photography; there was a high overcast all...
  17. R

    California, 2024

    19 September 2024 After several trips blind birding – that is, birding without chasing a known rarity – this month, I finally found a bird on my want list today. My first stop was a Bethany Curve Park, which was more birdy than my last few visits, but did not turn up anything new. The eBird...
  18. R

    Elk Creek, Inland Northern CA - hummingbird black and green

    Welcome to the site. Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds are the only ones at all likely in that area at this time. Your description does not sound much like either, so it may have been something really odd from far to the south. A photo could be very useful. Sorry I cannot be more help.
  19. R

    California, 2024

    15 September 2024 The last several days have been frustrating. I have been birding most days, mostly returning to places I have visited and written about previously, with nothing new to report. The 14th I expected to go out on a pelagic trip, but it was canceled due to heavy seas. The trip is...
  20. R

    Townsend's Warbler ?? (Washington-US)

    The ear patch looks quite weak and the breast pale for a pure Townsend's; I suggest this may be a Townsend's x Hermit Warbler hybrid.
  21. R

    Small bird ID help Philadelphia PA, USA Sept 11 2024

    1 The lack of a white line on the upper wing; the straight, medium length bill; and the feet extending beyond the tail do not give too many possibilities: I say Lesser Yellowlegs. 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 House Finch 4 Northern Parula 6 Chestnut-sided Warbler 7 House Finch 8 ??? 9 Red-eyed Vireo...
  22. R

    California, 2024

    9 September 2024 Chores around the house gave me a late start birding today. It was not until about 11:30 AM that I made it down to Bethany Curve. Bethany Curve is a narrow little park that follows a little creek four blocks up from the ocean on the west side of Santa Cruz. A great birder...
  23. R

    California, 2024

    7 September 2024 It turned out that while I was at Drake’s Beach unsuccessfully chasing a single Solitary Sandpiper, three were being seen in Watsonville, much closer to my home. A group of sloughs run through the City of Watsonville. These are variously dammed or allowed to flow slowly toward...
  24. R

    Merlin (not Prairie Falcon)?, Manitoba, Sept 2024

    All Merlins.
  25. R

    California, 2024

    6 September 2024 Point Reyes juts out into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is mostly enfolded within Point Reyes National Seashore, though there is a state park on its eastern side and cattle ranches within the Seashore. The western portions are mostly grassland, but there are...
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